The Perfect Body Measurements for Men

by
MIGUEL CAVAZOS Last Updated: Jul 18, 2017

Miguel Cavazos

Miguel Cavazos is a photographer and fitness trainer in Los Angeles who began writing in 2006. He has contributed health, fitness and nutrition articles to various online publications, previously editing stand-up comedy and writing script coverage as a celebrity assistant. Cavazos holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and political science from Texas Christian University.

The perfect body measurements for men derive from having a proportionate build and the ideal male body shape. The Style-makeover-hq website reports that the perfect male body shape is a trapezoid. The trapezoid shape features a broad chest and shoulders and a medium-to-narrow hip and waistline. The upper part of your torso is larger than the lower part of your torso if you have a trapezoid shaped body.

Chest

Psyduction reports that the male chest evolved to house large lungs that can delivery more oxygen for running and chasing activities. Broad-chested men historically command greater respect and power. The size of your pectoral muscles determines that size of your chest. Bodybuilding professional, Steve Reeves, suggested that your chest should measure exactly twice the circumference of one of your thighs and each of your thighs should be 1.75 times larger than the corresponding knee.

Shoulders

Over a dozen muscles in your shoulders and upper arms make up your shoulder size. These muscle groups include your deltoids and triceps. The Bodybuilding website reports that broad shoulders help convey the impression of width and contributes to symmetry to the perfect male upper-body shape. Malecorsetry reports in a 2005 University of Groningen study by Bram P. Buunk and Pieternel Dijkstra, suggests women may prefer men with a shoulder circumference measurement that is just over half the circumference of the hips. According to the results of the study, men with a .60 waist-to-shoulder ratio may appear over twice as attractive than men with .50, .70 or .80 ratios.

Waist

Muscles that form your waistline include your abdominals, obliques and your erector spinae skeletal muscle groups. The perfect body measurements for men correspond with a narrow and muscular waist. Bodybuilding reports that the ideal waist circumference measurements for men are approximately 86 percent of the circumference of a man’s body at the pelvis or hips.

Hips

The perfect body measurements for men correspond with narrow, lean and muscular hips. This characteristics allowed men to run quickly across long distances for activities involving chasing and hunting in early and primitive societies. According to the Livescience website, a 2004 study by Dr. Devendra Singh of the University of Texas suggests that women prefer men with a hip circumference equal to the waistline divided by .90 or a waist-to-hip ratio of .90.

Height

Bioedonline reports on a 2005 Hong Kong Polytechnic University study which suggests that the volume-height-index is a reliable measure of body attractiveness for men. Young Chinese viewers rated male body attractiveness. According results of the study the optimal volume-height-index for men equals 17.5 to 18 liters per square meter. Your volume height index the volume of your body divided by the square of your height. This study suggests that the square of your height should equal your body volume multiplied by 17.5 to 18.